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 | (L - R): The ODN representative at the GDN Board and head of SGDIA, Professor Vijay Naidu, Director of the Development Studies Network from the Australian National University, Professor Pamela Thomas and the Acting Dean of FBE, Dr Kesaia Seniloli at the opening of the ODN workshop. |
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The Oceania Development Network (ODN) recently organised a two-day workshop with a focus to develop the research capacity in the Pacific region.
The workshop which looked at educating researchers from the region on ‘Presentation of Research Findings and Preparing a Policy Brief’ was hosted by the University of the South Pacific in Suva.
ODN is one of the regional networks of the Global Development Network (GDN) and since its inception has become an important and critical network to develop the capacity that is needed for young researchers in the region.
It encourages Pacific Island researchers to link their research to policies, thus, enabling them to make valuable contributions to policy debate in their countries and further contributing to the preparation of an effective Pacific research community achieved through the generation, promotion, and sharing of multidisciplinary knowledge.
Speaking at the workshop which began on 12 September 2012, the ODN representative at the GDN Board, Professor Vijay Naidu said that GDN’s main objective was to build research capacity in third world countries.
“Currently there are 12000 individual researchers who are part of the network and several hundred institutes of research including universities as well as policy making institutions attached to the GDN,” he added.
Professor Naidu, who is also the head of USP's School of Government, Development and International Affairs (SGDIA), thanked the participants for their interest in the workshop and for being part of the ODN programme.
In her opening remarks, the Acting Dean of the Faculty of Business and Economics (FBE) at USP, Dr Kesaia Seniloli highlighted the main objectives of ODN. These included:
encouraging Pacific Island researchers to be able to develop a quality research proposal and implement it;
providing avenues for Pacific Island researchers to know how and where to access expertise that will enhance their research;
increasing research outputs of Pacific Island researchers;
providing the means by which results and findings of Pacific Island researchers can be disseminated widely; and
promoting the contribution of Pacific Island researchers to policy debate.
Dr Seniloli said that USP shared similar objectives with ODN.
“The new USP Strategic Plan aims to significantly increase its research activities. USP wants to ensure that its research activities meet the needs of the Pacific region,” she said.
Dr Seniloli explained that the two-day workshop aimed not only to encourage and support young and aspiring researchers in the region but also, “to train them to do quality research work which is essential to effectively contribute to policy debate.”
“It is important for both ODN and USP to ensure that the most pressing research needs of the Pacific Island Countries are addressed and that the agenda is that of the countries.”
She acknowledged ODN for organizing the workshop and encouraged the young and emerging researchers to take advantage of the opportunity to learn as much as they can.
The workshop enabled young researchers to listen to and participate in presentations by various resource persons of the ODN, such as Professor Naidu and Professor Pamela Thomas, Director, Development Studies Network from the Australian National University, Dr Gordon Nanau of USP, and Dr Mahendra Reddy from the Fiji National University.
The workshop ended on 13 September.
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